Why do the Scarsdale schools need a charitable foundation?

Scarsdale’s schools have a long tradition of achievement and excellence. Education has always been a priority here and the community is justifiably proud of its schools. But unfortunately the job of maintaining the high quality and leadership role of our schools is increasingly challenging in the current economic environment. Often, in a time of fiscal restraint, near-term needs make it challenging to fund investments in the future. That is especially true when so much of the District’s operating budget is allocated to government-mandated costs or critical “fixed” costs such as salaries, transportation, supplies and maintenance, much of which increases annually. As a result, discretionary spending is often squeezed and little funding remains to build on core academic programs.